Page 110 of Hidden Kingdoms

CHAPTER FORTY-TWO

ELODIE

Marcellus directed us through the courtyard towards a gate set into the towering boundary wall, and I looked up in time to see the clouds condense together and slam down. Their shadows breaking apart against the shield that held steady high above, though it didn’t stop the boom that reverberated around us, rattling my teeth. It almost knocked my feet from under me, but Alouette’s hand flew out to steady me as we passed under the wall that marked the edge of the palace grounds, Marcellus’ hand tightening painfully over mine.

I could see the smudge of blackness in the distance, a dark stain on the sky that all the other clouds seemed to grow from. Again, I was pulled into Marcellus’ hard body, his huge arm wrapping around my waist as he whispered words I didn’t recognise under his breath. Alouette held onto my other hand, and suddenly solid ground was no longer under my feet.

My body was being squeezed from all sides, the pressure unbearable as I held onto them both with everything I had. I couldn’t pull in a breath, couldn’t move, couldn’t hear anything apart from the ringing in my ears. I could feel the panic that was still fighting for a place inside me double, and as my feet hit thefloor, my knees crashed to the ground as I slid from Marcellus’ grip. Shouts filled the air as the ringing in my ears came to a stop.

Cold, wet mud seeped into the fabric of my trousers and the hem of my cardigan as my breath formed into vapours in the icy air. My legs were shaky as I attempted to right myself after… whatever that was.

It was dark, almost too dark, and I’d barely had time to begin to shiver when I looked up. Surging against the trembling ward that domed high above us, was the awful roiling smoke from my nightmare.

There were people everywhere, black clad bodies swarming around us. The huge, grey, stone wall—that must be part of the one I had first been taken under—rose up high in front of us, and I whirled around, the palace now far in the distance. Just a tiny rise of grey towers and shiny turrets so far, I couldn’t even make out the windows, a second patch of darkness hovering above it.

There were armoured vehicles spread around, and the metallic clink of weapons mingled with the ordered shouts flying back and forth. I took it all in, trying to make sense of what I had been dropped into the middle of, as Marcellus pulled me up from the muddied ground.

“Don’t die. I like you,” Alouette said, with a squeeze of my arm, as she ran off shouting orders, and I watched a group of soldiers instantly fall in line beside her.

Thick lines of light began shooting up to the wards at random from people gathered below. The glow of magik absorbed into the dome, iridescent swirls streaking across it to chase away the blackness.

Again, it crashed down hard, causing thin cracks to snake their way through the ward. Even with the energy that shot towards it, they weren’t closing quick enough. Dread clawed at my insides with razorlike talons as I knew without doubt, thiswas The Darkness that Kaius had told me about. That same entity that had found me in my dream, only to chase me here.

I could feel its reach pressing into me, the way my heart began to race, and my mind began to cloud with the fear it evoked. With every fracture of the shield above, I could sense its frenzied excitement. Its delight at the victories it was winning.

A cry rang through the air and several of the lines of magik shut off, as people began to drop, their magik not strong enough to continue. Others ran forward, some to drag the fallen away, and the rest to direct their own magik to the sky—The Darkness’ presence unrelenting despite their efforts.

It was hard to make out anyone as it blocked out the sun. It swelled through the sky, seeking out weaknesses, eager to break through.

Light from the magik illuminated those closest, but mostly we were cast in shadow, and few stone lights were held high. Not enough to make much difference.

Shudders vibrated through the ground. Under my feet the mud was slippery, churned into sludge from the footfalls of heavy boots. My soft shoes sucked into the dirt, leaching the heat from my body.

I found Marcellus’ hand and held on tightly, not wanting to be separated as he moved his way through the people, heading to where the most amount of magik was being cast. A group of soldiers fell into step with us, faint glows emitting from gemstones inset into their weapons. Everyone else practically tripping over themselves to get out of our way. I was under no illusion it was because of me and had everything to do with the hulking man I was clinging to.

A patch of shadows cleared, and the light illuminated a group of people standing in a circle, all with their hands loose at their sides, mouths moving quickly. I realised I recognised two of them, and as a pair of green eyes snapped open, I flinched atthe disdain glaring back at me, even as anger prickled along my spine.

Bastian’s hands fisted in a ball, the light of joint magik above him dimming as he pulled his energy away. Next to him, Kaius opened his eyes. His grey gaze held only a softness when he looked at me. There were dark hollows under his eyes and wisps of shadows danced around his fingers and through his unbound hair.

“What the fuck is she doing here, Marcellus?” the Prince growled, eyes flicking over my now filthy clothes as he stalked towards us. I stepped from Marcellus' side, reluctantly letting go of his hand, not needing to hide from the bastard in front of me who was looking at me like I’d just shit in his cornflakes.

“I can help,” I ground out, my frustration instantly rising to attention at the sound of his voice.

“Yeah, I think not,Princess.” He came to a stop in front of me, glaring down with eyes full of fire.

“Goldie.” Kaius nodded, a smirk pulling at his lips despite the bedlam that surrounded us as he moved closer into my space, and I had to stop myself from leaning towards him. “Come to put some of that power of yours to use, have you?”

“We don’t need her power. We need her to go back.”

I’m standing right here, you fucker.

“Don’t be such an idiot, Bas, look at us,” Kaius said, before I could open my mouth. “We’ve even got First Guard here. With magik like hers, this will be over in no time.” He winked at me, and I noticed some of the shadows that were playing around him reach towards me, but he shifted back and they drifted away, dispersing into nothing.

The air heated chasing away the bite of cold as Bastian’s magik began to bleed from his fingers. Memories of dreams filled with fire flickering through my mind, adding to the ball of panic that sat heavy in my stomach, and I took a step back.

“She’s not going back.” Marcellus adjusted his stance, setting himself slightly in front of me, and I felt a wisp of wind play with a curl of hair at the nape of my neck, easing some of my nerves.

“She’ll do as she’s told, or she won’t like the consequences,” Big Man snarled, and that ball of panic morphed into an anger that I only seemed possessed with when in his company.

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